Atlanta police seek help to solve ‘cold case’ murder of gay man

Ray was stabbed and left lying face-down with a knife blade in his chest. Police said the killer stole items including a television and Ray’s car, but took care to shower at Ray’s house on Browns Mill Road and wipe away all finger prints with bleach before leaving, according to the AJC.

Police narrowly missed a chance to gain information in the case the next day, when someone driving Ray’s car ran a stop sign, then hit a utility pole. The driver ran from the scene and was not apprehended.

His family told the AJC that Ray, 32 at the time of his death, was a kind man known for helping others, including working at a nonprofit legal group that helped poor people.

“It was definitely a shock,” Jonique Brown, Ray’s sister, told the AJC. “We thought that whoever did this had to be either crazy or in desperate need of something. But John would’ve given them the shirt off his back.”

Anyone with information should call the Atlanta Police at 404-245-8039 or Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477. Anonymous tips are accepted and there is a reward if the tip leads to an arrest and indictment.